Australian Government

Bureau of Meteorology


Coastal Waters Forecast 

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IDW11120

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Western Australia

Coastal Waters Forecast for Western Australia
Northern Zones: NT-WA Border to North West Cape

Issued at 7:01 pm WST on Thursday 19 March 2026
for the period until midnight WST Sunday 22 March 2026.

Please be aware
Wind and wave forecasts are averages. Wind gusts can be 40 per cent stronger than the forecast, and stronger still in squalls and thunderstorms. Maximum waves can be twice the forecast height.

Warning Information

For latest warnings go to www.bom.gov.au, subscribe to RSS feeds, call 1300 659 210* or listen for warnings on relevant TV and radio broadcasts.

Weather Situation

A trough extending from the northern Kimberley to the Pilbara coast will persist until the end of the week. A deep tropical low may approach the northeast Kimberley early next week from the Northern Territory.

North Kimberley Coast: WA-NT Border to Kuri Bay

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 70% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming variable about 10 knots in the morning then becoming west to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 80% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning and afternoon.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Southwesterly 10 to 15 knots tending westerly 15 to 20 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Below 0.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy. 60% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm.

West Kimberley Coast: Kuri Bay to Wallal

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 0.5 metres. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 60% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 80% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny. The chance of a thunderstorm.

Pilbara Coast East: Wallal to Cape Preston

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: North to northwesterly 10 to 15 knots turning westerly in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to around 1 metre west of Port Hedland. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly clear. The chance of a thunderstorm offshore east of Port Hedland.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: West to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots tending southeast to southwesterly in the early morning then tending northwest to northeasterly in the middle of the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny. The chance of a thunderstorm east of Port Hedland.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming east to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon then becoming north to northeasterly about 10 knots in the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. 70% chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the early morning.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming north to northwesterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon then turning westerly during the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Westerly below 1 metre. Weather: The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning. Mostly sunny day.

Pilbara Coast West: Cape Preston to North West Cape

Forecast for Thursday 19 March until midnight

Winds: Northwest to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots in Exmouth Gulf in the evening. Winds tending southwesterly in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres about offshore western waters. Swell: West to southwesterly below 1 metre. Weather: Clear.

Forecast for Friday 20 March

Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots, reaching up to 20 knots in Exmouth Gulf early in the morning. Winds becoming variable about 10 knots in the morning then becoming west to northwesterly 10 to 15 knots in the early afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre offshore. Weather: Sunny.

Forecast for Saturday 21 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming northwest to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots in the late afternoon then becoming variable about 10 knots in the late evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre offshore. Weather: Mostly sunny. The chance of a thunderstorm east of Onslow in the morning and afternoon.

Forecast for Sunday 22 March

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming west to northwesterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon then becoming west to southwesterly about 10 knots during the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: West to southwesterly around 1 metre offshore, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Weather: Sunny.

The next routine forecast will be issued at 1:01 am WST Friday.

* Calls to 1300 numbers cost around 27.5c incl. GST, higher from mobiles or public phones. Marine forecasts are also available on VHF and HF radio. View the radio schedule on www.bom.gov.au/marine

Check the latest Coastal Waters Forecasts for information on wind, wave and weather conditions for neighbouring coastal zones